Waste Characterisation

Municipal Solid Waste

Domestic – 2 stream

Broome Shire Council, WA – APC undertook aggregated seasonal audits (wet and dry seasons) of 100 households in 2011 and 2012 in accordance with the WA Waste Audit Guidelines. More than 11 tonnes of garbage and recycling samples were analysed to determine seasonal waste composition variation for the region. In addition, APC undertook a visual landfill assessment over 16 days of 1,804 deliveries over the two-year period. Three interim reports and one final report detailing the results of all four audits were delivered.

Domestic – 3 stream

Southern Sydney Region of Councils (SSROC), NSW – APC carried out a bin-by-bin audit of 13 Sydney councils under the NSW Waste Audit Guidelines in 2011. In total, 2,920 garbage bins, 2,909 recycling bins and 1,037 garden organics bins were sampled and analysed. APC delivered reports to 13 councils, one regional waste audit report and gave a presentation of results to the SSROC group. APC conducted regional waste audits for SSROC in 1999, 2001, 2005, 2008 and 2011, comprising a range of 11 to 14 member councils on each occasion. This project formed the largest regional waste characterisation study in Australia.

Domestic – bulk waste

Sutherland Council, NSW – Sutherland Shire Council contracted APC to conduct a waste audit of clean-up materials presented at the kerbside to establish the amount of recyclable and potentially recoverable material in the bulky waste stream. The waste audit was carried out over three weeks between 30 August and 30 September 2010 to capture any variations between socio-demographic areas. In total, 20 tonnes of collected material was audited, comprising samples from trucks and household kerbside presentations.

Commercial and office

WRAPP and annual reporting by state government agencies

Sydney Catchment Authority, NSW – APC conducted comprehensive waste audits at four sites over a five-day period to analyse the waste and recycling generated at each site, including detailed data analysis and recommendations for each site. We also conducted seven waste audits for the SCA in 2005, 2006 and annually since 2009 and have recently been awarded the contract to deliver services from 2013 to 2016.

Marrickville Council, NSW – APC conducted a detailed waste audit to determine waste management system performance, specifically waste composition, waste generation and contamination at selected council properties, including administration, depot, childcare centres, community centres, gallery, library, town hall, parks, special events and dumping ‘hot spots’. Visual inspections and discussions were held with managers, supervisors and ground staff of operational areas, including civil works, parks and streetscapes, and fleet services.Vodaphone Australia Pty Ltd – APC undertook a waste audit at four main sites in New South Wales and Tasmania, including offices and contact centres, to measure the waste disposal and recycling performance for internal reporting and as part of a review of current practices.

Public place

Randwick City Council, NSW – APC conducted an audit of 10 public-place recycling and garbage bin stations, four litter transects and two gross pollutant traps within the beachfront and parklands precinct. The purpose was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the waste profile between weekdays and weekends.

Landfill Audits

Muswellbrook, NSW – APC carried out a visual audit of the Muswellbrook Waste Management Facility (MWMF) in 2012. The Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW Disposal-based C&I Waste Audit Methodology 2008 (the Guidelines) was used. An APC auditor visually assessed and recorded all commercial and industrial (C&I) and construction and demolition (C&D) loads delivered. In total, 535 tonnes in 101 loads were delivered.

Regional landfills

Cradle Coast Waste Management Group, Tasmania and Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group – APC conducted visual waste audits of seven landfills in northern Tasmania to determine the composition of waste to landfill and opportunities for waste diversion. Audits were conducted at different lengths of time at each site based on the volume of waste accepted each day, as well as the number and type of vehicles using the site. The aim of the audit was to visually audit every vehicle arriving at the tip face over the agreed time frame. Over 33 audit days, a total of 2,128 vehicles were audited.

Transfer stations

Veolia Environmental Solutions, NSW – APC carried out visual audits of 90 per cent or 1,409 loads delivered to Veolia’s Port Botany, Greenacre and Clyde transfer stations in 2011. The audits were conducted over a week at each site. Weighbridge data was matched to the audit data using registration numbers, entry times and vehicle types. Volume data was converted to weight using the conversion factors listed in NSW Disposal-based C&I Waste Audit Methodology.

Transfer station and landfill

Transpacific Industries Group (TPI), SA – In May 2012, APC undertook a visual waste audit at Wingfield Transfer Station (TS) and Inkerman Landfill. In the absence of any other suitable methodology, the NSW EPA Disposal-based C&I Waste Audit Methodology 2008 was used to ensure reliable, consistent and robust data during the audit. The audit was to gain an improved understanding of the quantity, source and composition of waste streams accepted at these facilities, to identify current and potential future resource-recovery opportunities to reduce waste to landfill, and to determine the site-specific waste composition for comparison with the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS). All loads delivered over the audit period were visually assessed. Volume data was converted to weight using the conversion factors listed in the Guidelines.